C316, 317, 318
Chapter 316: Memory (1)
Tick, tock, tick, tock…
The second hand completed a full circle, and the minute hand finally moved to the next mark. But I wasn't summoned to the spiritual world.
I checked the date and time again, wondering if the clock was broken, and waited until morning, but nothing happened.
Then what the hell was going on?
I discussed it with Amelia all night, narrowing down the possibilities, and we were left with three.
To organize them one by one…
A temporary error occurred.
If this was just a coincidence, not someone's doing.
The probability wasn't 0%.
After all, electronic devices and magic tools were all man-made.
Although rare, even subspace rings malfunctioned sometimes, preventing you from accessing the items inside until they were repaired.
Well, the probability was low.
This was more plausible.
Auril Gabis banned me from the spiritual world.
It was more likely than the first possibility.
Judging by his attitude, there was no reason for him to ban me at this timing, but he was a cunning old man.
It could be another one of his schemes.
Anyway, next.
Something unavoidable happened to Auril Gabis.
This was also a possibility.
No, I actually thought this was the most likely scenario.
I couldn't even imagine what kind of situation could cause problems for that monstrous old man…
But it was a world full of monsters.
Even he would have a formidable opponent.
Like the royal family.
‘Whatever, let’s just sleep.’
It was pointless to worry about it when there was no way to find out the answer.
So I decided to wait until the 15th of next month, and a few days passed, and I even went to the labyrinth.
[Hahaha! We did it again! If we keep doing this, we’ll all be rich soon!]
There were no major incidents in the labyrinth.
We just looted looters until the labyrinth closed, just like last time.
And it was the same on the 15th at midnight.
[You couldn’t go again?]
[…No.]
I was still in my body, even though it was time.
‘Damn it, this is so frustrating…’
What the hell was going on?
My frustration grew with each passing day.
_____________________
‘Geez, time flies.’
I suppressed a bitter smile and put the calendar I was holding in my pocket.
Six months had passed since I came to the past.
Swoosh.
I got up and grabbed my coat, and Amelia asked without even looking at me,
“Are you going again today?”
“There’s nothing else to do here. What about you?”
“I’ll stay at the inn.”
I left the inn after a dry conversation with Amelia.
Our conversations were mostly like this these days.
Short, shallow, and always with an underlying tension.
‘Damn it, this is so uncomfortable.’
It was bearable at first, but it had become much worse recently, with only a few days left until D-Day.
We still hadn’t found a solution.
And the community hadn’t opened since that day.
‘…Did he really ban me?’
I was starting to think that way, and I wanted to confirm it.
The captain of Orculus was in this underground city.
I could ask him if I was the only one who was banned, or if the community server was down.
‘What am I even thinking? Nothing will change even if I do that.’
I sighed and walked through the streets of the underground city.
I had become quite familiar with this place.
I had memorized most of the main streets, except for the alleys and the eastern district, which was Orculus’s territory.
“Ah, Boss! You’re here!”
Dumbo greeted me as soon as I arrived at the clan house in the Lord’s Castle.
He didn’t seem afraid or uncomfortable around me anymore, after exploring the labyrinth together for a few months.
No, he was practically my right-hand man.
“Here, have a seat! Would you like a drink?”
“Something light.”
“Haha, wait a minute! I’ll bring it right away!”
Dumbo quickly brought me a drink and sat down next to me as I sat down and acted arrogantly.
And he started talking.
It was mostly about rumors in the city or recent incidents, but he was a good storyteller, so it wasn’t that boring—
“Right, Boss. Did you hear about the barbarian heart?”
He suddenly brought up something I couldn’t ignore.
“Heart? What are you talking about? Tell me.”
“Ah, you haven’t heard? Well, the rumor has already spread throughout the surface. They say barbarian hearts are valuable as magic materials.”
“…What?”
The Magic Tower announces that barbarian hearts are valuable magic materials about ten years from now.
It’s much later, after the war between the fairies and the barbarians.
But the rumor is already spreading?
‘Don’t tell me the future changed because of me? No, that’s impossible…’
I asked Dumbo for details, and this is what he said.
“Ah, it wasn’t announced by the Magic Tower. It’s just a rumor.”
“Rumor?”
“The Captain asked the Melta Trading Company to spread the rumor on the surface a few months ago.”
‘What? This son of a…’
I understood the situation.
After all, there was only one reason why Clan Leader Pelic Barker would ask the Melta Trading Company, the only trading company in Noark and the link to the surface, to do such a thing.
“It seems like he thought surface looters would be more easily tricked by our method if there was such a rumor. Ah, but even he didn’t expect it to spread this much.”
Dumbo explained in detail, thinking I didn’t understand.
Not only had the rumor spread throughout the surface, but it had even been re-imported to Noark?
I couldn’t help but curse.
“Damn it.”
“…Yes?”
“Quiet.”
“…….”
Dumbo quickly shut his mouth, sensing my displeasure, and I calmly organized my thoughts.
My mind was racing.
The rumor would probably be debunked soon.
But…
‘Maybe this is the beginning…’
I couldn’t shake that thought.
Maybe some mages would start researching it because of the rumor Pelic Barker spread, and that would lead to barbarian hearts being valued ten years later.
So, in short…
‘Could I be the cause of that?’
It was just a thought for now.
But the problem was that it didn’t seem far-fetched.
“Dumbo, I’m leaving now.”
“Yes? Yes!”
I wasn’t in the mood to socialize at the clan house.
But I didn’t have anywhere else to go.
So I just wandered around the Lord’s Castle, as if taking a walk.
“So you’re Iron Mask?”
An old man walking past me suddenly stopped and spoke to me.
I couldn’t just ignore him.
This world was especially harsh on the elderly.
They had to be skilled to survive to that age.
“Who are you?”
The old man chuckled and took out a small magic stone from his pocket as I cautiously asked back.
And…
“This kind of person.”
…he opened his mouth, and the magic stone glowed, transforming into bread.
_____________________
An alchemist.
A transformation mage with the innate ability to transform magic stones into bread, iron, and other materials.
‘…I didn’t expect to meet someone like this in the hallway.’
In a way, an alchemist was a bigger shot than the Lord or the captain of Orculus.
At least in Noark.
I heard there were only two alchemists here.
The Lord wouldn’t be immediately ruined if he died, but if the alchemist position was vacant, the city would collapse.
Literally.
“Haha, you seem surprised. Is this your first time seeing alchemy?”
I didn’t care if it was my first time or not, I was just confused.
Who would have thought they would encounter someone like this, the foundation of this city, in the hallway?
‘Wait a minute, even if it’s the Lord’s Castle, an alchemist wouldn’t just wander around alone…’
I looked around, feeling like something was off, and I could feel gazes on me from everywhere.
They were probably all hidden, judging by how I couldn’t see them. They must have absorbed stealth essences.
“You’re quite sensitive. Don’t worry too much, they’re just my escorts.”
Sensitive, my ass. They were the ones who were revealing their presence.
It was a kind of warning, telling me not to try anything stupid.
“Ah, I haven’t introduced myself yet. My name is Marpa Ipaello. You can call me whatever you want, but I prefer my last name.”
“…Iron Mask.”
“I know. It’s fate that we met, so how about we talk for a bit?”
“Alright.”
I readily agreed.
If it were the other alchemist, who was known for his bad temper, I might have refused… but I knew this old man’s name from Amelia.
‘He’s the one who created Lethe’s Blessing.’
That alone was enough reason to talk to him.
“Hmm, you’re a bold one, as I heard. Come this way.”
‘As I heard… so he came looking for me, not the other way around.’
Ipaello started walking, and I followed him.
No one stopped me, even though we passed through the 3rd floor, which was restricted, probably because I was with him.
We arrived at the alchemist’s workshop.
“You can all leave now.”
‘It’s similar to a mage’s lab, but also different.’
I scanned the workshop as soon as we entered, and he dismissed his escorts and offered me a seat.
“Sit down. Tell me if you want something to drink.”
“I’m good.”
Normally, I would have demanded meat and taken the initiative in the conversation, but I skipped it this time.
Amelia would scold me if I was rude.
This old man was Amelia’s benefactor when she was young.
Therefore, I couldn’t treat him disrespectfully, regardless of his position.
Well, I still couldn’t use honorifics, for the sake of my barbarian pride.
“So why did you call me?”
“I was just curious about what kind of person you are. It’s the first time I’ve seen those kids talk so happily about their experiences in the labyrinth.”
I pretended not to know and asked back,
“Those kids?”
“Laura and Amelia. They’re lovely children. I sometimes call them over for snacks and company when I’m feeling lonely.”
“…I see.”
“I was worried about them, but seeing you, all my worries have disappeared. They’re pitiful children, so please take good care of them.”
“I will.”
I nodded and then cautiously asked,
“But if you’re going to ask me that, why don’t you just take care of them yourself?”
“Huhu, it’s not easy right now.”
He was being vague, but I knew the reason.
‘He originally just gave them snacks, but after one of the alchemists died, he took them in and raised them himself.’
He probably couldn’t do that before.
There were currently two alchemists in the city.
He couldn’t enjoy absolute power because there was a clear substitute.
“How are those kids doing these days?”
“They’re doing well. I’m trying not to send them to dangerous places.”
“…I see.”
The topic of conversation naturally shifted to the Rainwales sisters. Alchemist Ipaello asked about their well-being, and I answered honestly.
And then I took the opportunity to ask,
“But can they hear us?”
“Don’t worry about my escorts, they can’t hear us. Is there something you’re curious about?”
“Is there a way to lift the restrictions from essences with alchemy?”
“Restrictions? If you’re talking about poison or something like that, then it’s possible…”
He trailed off and then asked,
“Don’t tell me you’re talking about [Unfair Contract]?”
“Maybe.”
I shrugged.
And was that enough of an answer?
“…That’s beyond the realm of alchemy.”
“I see.”
“Unfortunately.”
Ipaello smiled bitterly.
I was also disappointed, but I didn’t show it. Well, it wouldn’t exist in this era if it didn’t exist in the game.
“Anything else you’re curious about?”
Ipaello asked kindly, as if he liked me, and I asked about the Memory Erasure Pill, ‘Lethe’s Blessing’.
But I received a strange response.
“Lethe’s Blessing? What’s that?”
“That… pill that erases memories.”
“Ah, that! But it doesn’t have a name yet…”
Uh, I didn’t expect that…
“But Lethe… it has a nice ring to it. And it’s romantic, calling oblivion a blessing.”
I sighed inwardly.
So that’s why it’s called ‘Lethe’.
“Alright, I was thinking about a name, so I’ll use that.”
I didn’t expect there to be a story behind it.
----------------------------------------
Chapter 317: Memory (2)
Lethe’s Blessing.
Honestly, it was an ominous name from the beginning.
The fact that a pill with the same name as the Greek goddess of forgetfulness had the effect of ‘memory erasure’ couldn’t be a coincidence.
Ah, of course, I didn’t think much about it back then.
This was a city where evil spirits were active.
It wouldn’t be strange for a player to come up with that name.
But…
‘I can’t believe that player was me…’
I couldn’t even laugh, as strange things kept happening, starting with the ‘rumor’ Pelic Barker spread.
I was just spacing out when…
“Wait a minute…”
…Ipaello looked at me suspiciously.
“How did you know about that pill? I’ve only given out samples to less than twenty people.”
Ah, that.
“I heard that Pelic Barker received it from the Lord.”
“Hmm, really?”
I confidently puffed out my chest despite his suspicious gaze.
I hadn’t lied.
Pelic Barker did have Lethe’s Blessing.
Well, he didn’t tell me the details, he just said he received a potion made by the alchemist as a reward from the Lord.
“Well, the Lord has been taking an interest in him lately, so that’s possible.”
Ipaello soon agreed without needing a long explanation.
But he was still curious about one thing.
“But where did you hear the name ‘Lethe’s Blessing’?”
“Well, I think that’s what they called it. Maybe I misheard.”
“Haha, it seems like they’ve already created their own slang.”
His suspicion disappeared.
So that was the end of that topic.
I subtly asked him something I was curious about.
“But is that pill safe? I heard it was recently developed. Are there any side effects?”
“Don’t worry. There are no side effects, except for the fact that the range of memory loss is inconsistent.”
Inconsistent…
It seemed like they hadn’t figured out how to mass-produce it with consistent results yet.
“Well, considering what you’re going to use it for, side effects don’t really matter, do they?”
“That’s true, but what if it’s defective and doesn’t work?”
“That’s highly unlikely. The effect is usually too strong, not too weak. There has never been a defective product among the first test batches.”
“Too strong?”
Ipaello seemed excited as the topic of conversation shifted to his field of expertise. He told me to wait for a moment and then brought a box from a corner of the workshop.
“Here, this is the first pill I made.”
There was a white pill in the open box.
There were over ten slots, but they were all empty except for one.
“It’s twice as big as the one I saw.”
“Huhu, it’s not just the size. If you take this pill, you’ll lose almost all your memories.”
“…What?”
All my memories?
But then it’s not really a defective product, is it?
No, wait, why did he even bother mass-producing it when he had a better prototype?
Ipaello gave me an answer that sounded like a corporate researcher as I asked out of pure curiosity.
“Ah, that’s because it costs a fortune to make one pill. The Lord said it wasn’t cost-effective.”
It was a reason I could understand as a former office worker.
‘Well, it was made to be used on witnesses, so a few days of memory loss would be enough.’
I talked to Ipaello for about five more minutes, and that was the end of our conversation for the day.
______________________
Time passed, and it was the day before D-Day.
We did a final check of our plan.
Well, I wasn’t even sure if we could call this a plan…
But what could I do? We had to try.
Anyway, to summarize the main points:
1. Infiltrate the Lord’s Castle and steal the Fragment of Records.
For reference, this was my solo mission.
Amelia said there wouldn’t be many guards left at the Lord’s Castle tomorrow. She thought I would be able to pull off a heist with my skills.
Anyway, Amelia was going to stay with her younger self while I was at the Lord’s Castle…
And this is where the problem with our plan started.
2. Reunite with Amelia and escape with the sisters.
Although that was the plan, nothing was set in stone.
Even if ‘that guy’ came and dispelled the [Unfair Contract] Pelic Barker had cast on Laura, the rest was all up to improvisation.
And…
3. The Rainwales sisters live happily ever after with new identities on the surface.
That was our entire plan.
Honestly, I didn’t think it would work.
It wasn’t because it wasn’t detailed enough.
The most important part was missing.
[Once a timeline has been observed, it can’t be changed.]
The future wouldn’t change, no matter what we did in the past, and I had seen enough evidence.
Dwarkey and Raven.
The barbarian heart.
And even Lethe’s Blessing.
I had already experienced this much, and Amelia must have experienced even more.
She must have felt a sense of déjà vu and recalled old memories in her daily life.
Thud.
Something touched my arm.
I turned my head, and Amelia was offering me a bottle of alcohol.
“…You want me to drink?”
“That’s right.”
“Suddenly?”
Amelia answered flatly as I spoke incredulously.
“The operation is tomorrow night.”
“Even so…”
“I have something to tell you.”
Ah, she should have just said that from the beginning.
I took the bottle and opened it.
It was a bit funny.
She couldn’t get drunk, so she was giving me alcohol before our conversation. Well, it would be easier to talk if the other person was drunk, even if you were sober.
“Keuh…”
I took a swig, drinking half the bottle.
“So what is it? Is it important?”
“No, it’s not. But… I feel like we haven’t had a proper conversation lately.”
Amelia said so and avoided my gaze.
She’s embarrassed, isn’t she?
“Uh… ye, yeah…”
I felt my face flush.
Ah, is this because of the alcohol?
Damn it, this is strong. And bitter.
I was about to ask where she got it when she called my name.
“Yandel.”
“I thought you said we should use our aliases even when we’re alone?”
“It’s over today anyway. It doesn’t matter even if someone hears us.”
“…So why did you call me?”
“I have something to tell you.”
Amelia quickly corrected herself after saying that.
“No, to be precise, it’s an apology.”
“…Apology?”
I felt a sense of foreboding.
And as always, my premonition didn’t fail.
Thud. Roll.
The bottle, more than half empty, slipped from my hand and rolled on the floor.
Damn it, no wonder it tasted so bitter…
“What did you put in it?”
Amelia answered flatly as I asked, holding my arm, which wouldn’t move properly, to my thigh.
“All the drugs I have that won’t kill you.”
She sounds like a psychopath with that expression.
Aside from the chills running down my spine, at least I knew one thing.
‘Right, so she wasn’t planning to kill me.’
I swung the small hammer I had strapped to my thigh, my emergency weapon.
Unfortunately, it didn’t work.
Whoosh!
Amelia leaned back, and the hammer cut through the air.
“I knew you would do that when you lowered your hand.”
She could see through me after all the surprise attacks.
“Damn it.”
My muscles weakened, and I stumbled as I tried to get up. Amelia caught me before I could fall.
Okay, I knew she would do that.
“Ugh…!”
I took the opportunity and wrapped my arm around her neck.
It was a triangle choke.
But this woman was also tough.
Kwaaang!
I was thrown back, a sharp pain in my temple.
Two women were standing over me, their vision blurry.
It seemed like she had summoned a clone and kicked me in the head…
‘I’m done for.’
I couldn’t move. The drugs had weakened my body, and now my head was injured.
“…You’re never easy, are you?”
Amelia chuckled and then lifted me up and laid me down on the bed.
And she spoke,
“I’m sorry. I don’t think I can be your companion after all.”
I grabbed her wrist with all my might as she turned to leave.
“Wh, what… are you… doing?”
Amelia didn’t answer.
She just shook off my hand and then started putting on her equipment, her expression solemn.
And…
“Check the drawer when you wake up.”
…that was my last memory.
_______________________
Amelia Rainwales looked at herself in the mirror.
She adjusted her clothes and brushed her hair back.
The scar on her ear was revealed.
It was a flaw that would hinder her if she wanted to live as a woman.
But it wasn’t a sacrifice. She had sacrificed much more to get here.
“…….”
But she couldn’t bring herself to leave.
Why?
Amelia observed her emotions.
It wasn’t fear.
Life had been nothing but a means to an end since that day.
Even if she couldn’t change anything today, and her decades of effort ended in failure.
Failure didn’t scare her.
It was actually closer to salvation.
She had been longing for that day, even as she relentlessly pursued her goal.
Then what was it?
What was holding her back?
“…….”
Amelia turned around.
She saw the barbarian sleeping soundly.
He had been glaring at her with a demonic expression, asking what she was doing, but now he was snoring peacefully.
Thud, thud.
Amelia walked over to the bed and opened the drawer.
She placed a note she had written beforehand inside and then turned to leave.
She suddenly remembered a conversation they had a few months ago.
[If I succeed in saving your sister and resolve all the restrictions even after we return to our original time…]
[…Resolve the restrictions?]
[Then join my clan.]
It was ridiculous, even thinking about it now.
It was unrealistic.
But it would have been fun, if she could just imagine it. Exploring the labyrinth with that idiot would be full of unexpected incidents.
Right, it would definitely…
“Ah…”
Amelia finally realized why she couldn’t leave.
It was regret.
A lingering attachment to a future that would never come.
Thud.
But emotions are just emotions.
She just had to use more force if her feet felt heavy.
She didn’t stop walking.
Creak.
She took a deep breath at the door and then opened it.
Chaos had already begun outside.
“Fi, fire!!”
Flames were rising from the eastern district.
She had told him that it was tomorrow night…
But today was the day.
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Chapter 318: Memory (3)
“This son of a…!”
I sat up as soon as I opened my eyes.
My vision was blurry, and I could smell smoke.
And it was unusually noisy outside.
“Anyone on the streets will be considered a rebel. Everyone get inside!”
Authoritative shouts echoed from everywhere.
“Kyaaaaaak!”
I occasionally heard screams, and every time a loud boom echoed in the distance, a slight tremor shook the bed.
Then what the hell was going on?
I needed information.
Therefore…
Thud, thud.
…I forced my heavy body to move towards the window. A wave of black smoke hit me as soon as I opened the window, and I started coughing.
“Cough, cough.”
I looked out the window as I coughed.
Soldiers were patrolling the smoke-filled streets, controlling the citizens.
And…
‘There’s really a fire.’
…I saw flames engulfing the city in the distance.
It was the eastern district, Orculus’s territory.
Although it was quite a distance from where I was, the entire city was filled with smoke, as expected of an underground city with poor ventilation.
Kaboom! Kaboom!
It didn’t seem like an ordinary fire, judging by the occasional explosions.
“This is driving me crazy… What the hell is going on?”
I pressed my throbbing temples.
My mind felt sluggish, much slower than usual. Maybe it was a side effect of the drugs Amelia gave me.
‘Right, the drugs…’
My memories came back to me as I came to my senses.
‘What the hell was she thinking? And where did she go?’
I didn’t know.
But I focused on one thing.
It was the same as when I first woke up in this body.
What was the most important thing I had to do right now?
The answer came quickly.
“Drawer.”
Amelia told me to check the drawer.
Maybe there was an explanation for this situation in there.
I closed the window and walked towards the bed.
There was a short note in the open drawer.
“Ha…”
It started with a brief apology.
It didn’t take long to read it all, and I tore it to shreds as soon as I was done.
But my anger didn’t subside.
‘I can’t believe D-Day was today.’
Amelia had lied to me.
Although it wasn’t written in the note, the reason was obvious.
She wanted to prevent me from interfering with the past. She probably thought it might change the future.
‘Damn it, I didn’t know she was this impulsive…’
I was dumbfounded, but I tried to calm down and checked the time.
[04:31]
4:31 AM.
It had been about six hours since I had a drink with Amelia.
‘So, what should I do…?’
I closed my eyes and organized my thoughts.
Amelia’s note said she would handle the rest herself, and that I should find the Fragment of Records and return when I woke up.
Judging by the state of the city, it didn’t seem like it would be difficult to infiltrate the Lord’s Castle.
But…
‘That’s ridiculous. So she’s just going to leave me here alone?’
I didn’t like it.
But I also had another thought.
What would happen if I didn’t do anything?
Would the future change?
“…Whatever, let’s just get out of here.”
I made a decision.
And I quickly put on my equipment.
I could think about the rest while I was on the move.
Creak.
I hurriedly headed towards the Lord’s Castle.
___________________
Acrid smoke.
I passed through the smoke-filled streets and the soldiers who were busy controlling the citizens and arrived at the Lord’s Castle.
But the gate was firmly closed, and even my badge as a member of the Lord’s faction couldn’t open it.
“The Lord ordered us not to let anyone in. And besides, why are you only here now? The mobilization order was issued a while ago.”
“…I was sleeping.”
“Then go to the eastern district. Your clan has already left.”
Damn it, how annoying.
“Okay. Good work.”
I turned around and left.
There were other ways to get in, even if the gate was closed.
Barbarians don’t ask for permission.
‘It’s smoky, they won’t see me.’
I walked along the wall for a while, made sure there was no one around, and then used [Leap] to jump over it.
But unfortunately, there was someone on the other side.
“Wh, who are you?!”
A soldier, startled by me falling from the sky, shouted.
Thwack!
I quickly silenced him before he could make a scene and then ran towards the inner castle.
As Amelia said, the castle was practically empty on the day of the operation. There weren’t any threats.
Just a few patrolling soldiers.
The main forces were probably fighting Orculus in the eastern district.
“Enemy!”
Thwack!
“An enemy has infiltrated the castle!”
Thwack!
Thanks to that, I was able to skip this part quickly.
But the inner castle was a different story.
Kaboom!
The moment I smashed the gate of the inner castle and entered the first floor, a group of explorers surrounded me with hostile expressions.
‘So they left this many behind, even though it’s an empty house?’
Elite troops who had received knighthood.
I even recognized a few of them since I had been in and out of the Lord’s Castle for the past few months.
“…Iron Mask, why are you here? Not in the eastern district where the battle is taking place?”
“Ah, I had something to discuss with the Lord.”
“I can’t believe you were a spy for Orculus.”
Baldy, whose name I couldn’t remember, glared at me with anger, as if he had been betrayed by a trusted comrade.
I didn’t feel any guilt.
I wasn’t a spy for Orculus…
And I had never considered him a comrade in the first place.
“Enough, attack me.”
“I don’t know what kind of arrogance made you crawl in here alone, but this is your—”
What the hell, they’re just 5th-grade.
They keep talking instead of attacking.
Fine, I’ll go to them.
Kaboom!
I didn’t waste time with pointless conversation and immediately activated [Gigantification] and [Leap]ed into the center of their formation.
And…
“Behel—laaaaaaaaaa!!”
…I swung my hammer, which was already monstrously large thanks to [Gigantification], after making it about three times bigger with the [Transcendence] and [Swing] combo.
Whooosh!
I spun like a top, swinging my hammer.
It was called ‘Whirlwind’.
I took it from my favorite game before I got addicted to [Dungeon and Stone]…
And its characteristic was the refreshing impact and sound you could enjoy while spinning.
Like this.
Kaboom!
The squishy ones exploded like balloons when they were hit by the hammer, and the sturdier ones were thrown back and crashed into the walls.
It was an expected result.
The hammer I was holding wasn’t an ordinary weapon.
‘I built him as a tank, but somehow he’s more of a damage dealer now.’
No. 87 Kraul’s Demon Crusher.
A Double Numbered Item with a 500% damage increase option when using blunt weapon skills.
In short, this weapon increased the power of [Swing], a 3rd-grade skill, by five times just by holding it.
There was no way anyone could endure that.
Ah, of course, it didn’t work if they dodged.
“Wh, wh, what the…”
Those who had avoided the attack by lying flat on the ground looked up at me with dumbfounded expressions.
Some of them had regained their composure and were counterattacking.
Arrows.
Fire.
Lightning.
An axe.
I chuckled as I saw their weapons.
‘There’s not a single swordsman.’
That’s what’s funny about Noark.
Not all knights could use Aura.
They were just loyal and received titles, but only one in a hundred could actually use Aura.
‘As expected, they were all sent to the front lines.’
I then dealt with them one by one, smashing their heads with my hammer.
Even the warriors who were covered in heavy armor were quickly knocked out after I activated the 50% armor penetration bonus of ‘downward strike’.
About five minutes later…
…the battle ended as the remaining few ran away.
I didn’t bother chasing them or looting their bodies.
I didn’t have time, and…
…my subspace ring was already full of loot.
‘…Damn it, I have to take this hammer back somehow.’
I resumed my journey with that thought.
My destination wasn’t the upper floors where the Lord’s study or office was, but the underground shelter Amelia told me about.
Tadat, tadat.
I found the stairs leading down and ran down, and then I stopped.
Someone was coming up.
“I was wondering what the commotion was…”
It was someone I had met before.
The knight who came to recruit us on the Lord’s orders.
His name was…
“Iron Mask, why are you here?”
Rick Omanus.
He drew his sword, looking at me.
______________________
I didn’t even have time to make an excuse.
Whoosh!
He was quick to react. He imbued his sword with Aura as soon as he saw me, ready to fight.
He then tried to talk to me.
“Answer me, Iron Mask. Why are you here? And how do you know about this place?”
To answer his question, Amelia told me.
No one knew about the underground shelter now, but it would be different in the future.
“You’re not going to answer?”
My heart started to race at his words.
Thump.
‘Knights’ were the natural enemy of tanks.
Tanks were sturdy, but slow, and Aura ignored defense. And tanks didn’t have high damage output, so it was difficult to hurt a knight.
I knew it from my battle with the knight who was a looter, the one nicknamed ‘Serpent Knight’.
My arm was severed like tofu.
All I did was grab onto him like a cicada after he was injured.
It was Raven’s magic that won us the battle.
Thump!
And the situation was different now.
It was a 1v1, and we didn’t have any companions.
I hadn’t even prepared for Aura.
But…
Thump!
…my heart raced, and my grip on my weapon tightened.
It wasn’t because of fear.
It was natural to feel this tense before a battle.
“So you’re not going to answer.”
“…….”
“I’ll start by cutting off your arm.”
Rick Omanus took a stance.
I answered,
“Try it if you can.”
Right, it was time to fight a knight.